Q My family moved from Canada to Texas when I was 6 years old, and I studied from first grade through high school there. My application for permanent residency has been pending for years, so I'm considered an international student and don't qualify for federal financial aid, even though my parents pay taxes. When will the government offer financial aid to immigrant students like myself who were raised in the United States but have been unable to get permanent residency or citizenship?
SEC. DUNCAN: That's a huge issue. And it's one that first candidate Obama and now President Obama has been absolutely passionate about. I ran the Chicago Public Schools; Senator Durbin and Senator Obama were big supporters of the DREAM Act and trying to push to make sure that folks have a chance to pursue the American dream.
And it breaks my heart when we have young people around the country who have worked hard, who have done the right thing, who have, you know, actively engaged in school, been committed, gotten great grades, and then all of a sudden they're finding themselves having to pay out-of-state tuition for an in-state school. Doesn't make sense.
And so as we think about comprehensive immigration reform, one thing that's very interesting to me is how we push to try and get DREAM Act legislation as a part of that. It's the right thing to do for individuals. It's the right thing to do for families. It's the right thing to do for the country.
If we want all of our young people to grow up and be productive citizens and be players in our economy, we have to give them the chance to go to college.